Applied molecular spectroscopy and remote sensing, a strong research direction at the Atomic Physics Division since almost 40 years, is now being pursued in close collaboration with the Combustion Physics Division, Lund University, and with the Center for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Normal University in Guangzhou, China, where one of the senior Lund scientist is also a part-time professor.

Environmental monitoring is pursued mostly using light-detection and ranging (lidar) techniques, and employ passive, but mostly active remote-sensing methodology. Time-of-flight pulsed lidar technology is used, but also CW techniques with a bi-static detection geometry. Atmospheric elastic back-scattering is employed for particulates but also flying fauna (insects, birds). Gaseous pollutants are monitored in a differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) arrangement. Further, using UV-radiation, laser-induced fluorescence studies of vegetation and water bodies are being pursued.

Closely related to biophotonics studies, the gas in scattering media absorption spectroscopy (GASMAS) technique is employed for studying materials of various kinds.